Aerial, sea patrols find no new structures in spratlys

From the Manila Times (Mar 8): Aerial, sea patrols find no new structures in spratlys

NO new Chinese structures is being built in the disputed Spratly group of islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), even as the Naval Forces West is preoccupied securing the vast Sulu Sea dividing the island provinces of Mindanao and Sabah, according to top official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“We are doing regular patrols and reconnaissance flights in the area, we saw no new structures being built there,” Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban, Western Command (Westcom) chief, told The Manila Times on Thursday.

Sabban made the clarification in reaction to reports that China has taken advantage on the Sabah standoff issue and built new structures in Spratlys.

Sabban stressed that the Sabah conflict has not affected or weakened the Westcom’s security mantle despite the deployment of some of its naval assets down the Mindanao-Sabah border.

“Even prior to the Sabah incident, we have been patrolling that area,” he added.

The Spratlys is being claimed in whole, or in part by the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei and Vietnam.

There were reports also that China had already developed some of their claimed territories in the disputed area, while Vietnam had reportedly built a supermarket.

Sabban earlier said that all claimant countries can proceed with their respective developments on any areas that legally belongs to them under the United Nations Convention on the Rule of the Seas, or Unclos within their 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

“If it’s already legally theirs they can put up anything, the same way that when we have our own islands we can also put up our own supermarket as the case maybe,” he added.

“The mayor of Kalayaan [Island] has submitted his recommendations for development of his municipality and we are showing everybody that this is a legal means of showing the whole world that there is governance in our [island],” Sabban further said.

Kalayaan Island is part of the Spratlys. It has been declared in the 1970s as a municipality of Palawan province. A 1.3-kilometer airstrip has been built in the area to accommodate planes that deliver troops and supply.

Sabban said that Kalayaan folks should be provided with livelihood, including basic necessities such as hospitals, markets and piers and its existing airport should be rehabilitated and maintained to so that investors would come in.

“This will spur economic development for inhabitants of those islands. This will create livelihood, this will also attract tourists in that area,” he said.

”While other countries are promoting their own islands to become tourists destinations then we should, we might as well compete with their reefs and shoals, which will definitely put us n an advantage because ours are much better than theirs,” Sabban pointed out.

According to Sabban, they have also submitted their recommendations to higher authorities and hope to accomplish them before he retires from the service.

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/nation/42935-aerial-sea-patrols-find-no-new-structures-in-spratlys